In an effort to be more thorough with my level design creation I used a World of Level Design article to answer questions about the vision of my level. I did this so that I knew as much detail about what I wanted to create before beginning production.

Genre

Singleplayer or Multiplayer: Singleplayer/Co-op

Game Type: Journey (Get to the end of the map)

What game is the map for: Far Cry 5

What is the name of the map: Supply Run

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Story

Story behind the map: The player is a member of a post-apocalyptic survival group. He is searching through a mall/shopping center for supplies as his group is running out of necessities. The world has become run-down by zombies following a few weeks after the outbreak. People have died, the place has been ransacked, and destruction has taken place in the environment. The mall is dirty, parts of it have burnt out from a fire, electricity is malfunctioning. Hostile survival groups have taken shelter in the mall.

What is the goal of the level: The goal is for the player to search the mall for supplies such as canned goods, medical supplies, and other survival necessities. The player finds nothing except a hostile group of human enemies and then has to escape the mall. They get to a mall parking lot and find a functional car that they use to escape and get back to their hideout.

Gameplay

What is the objective of your map: Have the player navigate a scary and scarce environment that has the player end up frantically escaping because they could not execute the original mission (which is to find supplies).

Do you have a top-down game-play sketch: Yes

Will there be any puzzles: No

How would the level play out? Gameplay wise: The player can begin the level by either sneaking or by going in guns blazing. Either way, the level will end with a horde of zombies running after the player. 

How would you want the player to play through your map. Visualize this. What experiences do you want the player to walk away from your map: I want the player to either sneak or go all out. They will eventually want to run past the last horde of zombies or shoot them down.

How big is the map: About the size of a large mall as well as a small city. Parts of the mall will be cut off with obstacles to guide the player.

Who is your audience? Who is your player? What is your Demographic?: My audience is people who are into horror or FPS games. My target audience are late-teenagers and older.
 

Visuals:

Is the map original: The map draws inspiration from Dead Rising and Left 4 Dead 2

Reference. Have you collected inspiration and research?: Yes, from google images, the Facebook group “Dead Mall Enthusiasts,” as well as YouTube clips of the Dead Rising and Left 4 Dead series.

What is the time of day of the map? Season? Color?: Night, Season N/A, Color is a dark blue

Feel and Atmosphere. Describe what you want to portray in terms of the map and atmosphere: I want the atmosphere to feel cold, dark, lonely, scary, and suspenseful. I want the player to be on edge throughout the entire level.

Will exploration be rewarded? If so what will it be and in what way?: Exploration will reward the player with medkits, and ammunition. I will place them in shops that the player will need to search for. This helps reinforce the objective of the map which is to be looking for supplies.

How will you direct the player? What methods will you use? Color? Noise and Sound? Guide the player without telling them where to go. Smart design: I will guide the player through the use of flickering lights as this will contrast with the already-dark atmosphere. I will also use level design techniques such as framing, leading lines, and denial-and-reward. The noise made from enemies will also attract players to go in that direction.

What are you going to concentrate on? What do you want to learn when you are finished? What aspect of design, gameplay, fun, crazy, atmosphere?: At the top of my priority, I want to learn more scripting such as spawning enemies when the players step into a trigger box as well as the soundtrack changing when the player enters a new area. I want to learn encounter design along with story pacing. I want to know how to place enemies in a level such that the player feel like they SHOULD sneak through the level. I also want to focus on environment design, making the mall feel real and believable with the genre I want to go with.

What is the visual trademark of your level? How will players remember your map?: My level will feature a huge-sized mall with lots of polish, story pacing, and length. Narrative especially is hard to find in Far Cry Arcade maps made by the community. The level begins with a slow pace and ends with a huge dynamic exit.

Are the environments/locations too generic? How does the design strengthen the story: Unfortunately, The Far Cry 5 Arcade editor does not have any options for creating narratives such as collectible notes or dialogue. The only option that I can do is tell the story using the environment.

Custom content?: Textures, Models etc.: No, only the provided assets from the Far Cry Arcade editor will be used.